School funding cuts

Schools across the UK have experienced a turbulent year of budget cuts, exam changes and recruitment and retention crises, yet the pressures don`t appear to be easing any time soon.

Without a much needed cash injection, schools face an uncertain future, with the general secretary of the National Association, Paul Whiteman arguing that: `School budgets are at breaking point. They need at least an extra £2bn per year to avoid having to cut staff, cut classes, or limit what they teach.`

All of this of course has an impact on students` learning. In a recent survey that Tutor Hunt conducted with over 2,000 primary and secondary students, 88 per cent felt pressured to perform to a certain level in exams. Despite this, almost half (42 per cent) revealed that their school does not, or is unable to, offer any additional support.

Clearly, this only reinforces the effect that these challenges are having; if schools make cuts, then children will suffer significantly as a result. With 49 per cent of students already claiming that their individual needs are not being met by their teacher, this is only set to get worse if things don`t change.

With the pressures mounting and class sizes expanding, teachers are simply unable to dedicate additional one-to-one support, causing students to take matters into their own hands by seeking external help in the form of tutoring.
Amongst the top five reasons given when looking for a tutor was the desire to improve exam results and help with schoolwork which is to be expected. However, what is more interesting to note are the other high-ranking reasons; to improve confidence and poor quality of teaching at school.
Students are suffering as a result of school funding and time constraints, and with the added pressures of health and wellbeing, it is vital that we do everything we can as parents, teachers, tutors and guardians, to ensure they are receiving the support they need in order to fulfil their full potential.

For students, it appears that achieving personal goals and feeling stress free are a bigger priority than meeting parental or teacher`s expectations and so having this one-to-one support be that from tutors or other external help will help them to succeed. ;
Currently the top three subjects that students are being tutored in are maths, English and chemistry; topics that often require deeper analytical knowledge and skills than what is provided in an average lesson. Yet, with just one extra hour`s support a week from a tutor, almost all of the students surveyed (95 per cent) said they felt more reassured ahead of their exams.

Clearly this demonstrates that there is a real need for additional support beyond the classroom. And increasingly parents are investing in it; 70 per cent of the students we surveyed stated that between one and 10 of their friends already have tutoring. Being able to provide them with this reassurance and confidence will no doubt have a positive influence, not just on their learning and attainment but also on their wellbeing.